Gripper for lasting-machines.



s. W. LADD & B. A. S'I'IGGINS. GRIPPBR FOR LASTING MACHINES. APPLICATION ULED OUT. 13, 1902 1. 0 5 234 Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

' J 16 F1523. Wn-NcssE'i INVENTDH5 WKM , mg description,

SHERMAN WILLIAM LADID,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PAT- ERSON, NEW JERSEY, JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

GRIPPER FOR LAS'IIIiTG-MAGHINES.

Patented-Oct. 10, 1911.

Original application filed March 20, 1801, Serial No. 52,040. Divided and this application fil'ed October 18,

1902. Serial Ho. 127,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SHERMAN W. Lam) and EDWARD A.

Srreoms, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectivel of Boston, in the county of Suffolk-and tate of Massachusetts, and of Beverly, 1n the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Gri ipers for Lasting-Machines, of which the f0 lowin connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification like reference characters on the drawings indicatj in'g like parts in the several figures.

his invention relates to gr'ippers and particularly to grippers for pulling up ers over lasts in the lasting operation and 0t er similar operations, and is a division of an application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 52,040 filed by us March 20th, 1901 for improvements in lasting machines. he grippers in which our invention is herein shown as embodied constitute one of the operating mechanisms of a lastin machine which may be of the type shown in the United States Letters Patent granted to Sherman W. Ladd and Ronald F. McFely, N 0. 584,744, June 15th, 18 Reference may h e l iad to this patent for a full description of a lasting machine provided with grippers of this class and with o eratin mechanism therefor and also for'a iiill disc osure of the relation of the grippers to the other mechanisms of a lasting machine. As fully explained in saidpatent, a shoe is prepared for asting by assembling the u per, lining and inner-sole upon-the last witmgie upper and lining drawn over upon the er-sole at the tqe,'and at the sides,and sometimes at the eel also, and secured by a tack -or tacks in each of these places to hold the parts in relative position. -The parts thus fitted to a last form what is lmown as a pulled-over shoe.

The edge portion of the upper of it pulledover shoe extends in an irregular line, more or less distant from the ed e of-the innersole, being drawn over para el with the inner-sole where the tacks it stands up at an angle to thevinner-sole relation of the ed of the upper to the inner-solevaries nei erablyin dillerent pulled-over shoes, but the shoe own in Figure 4 of the acompanying gripper member a pecu V on that member at ments toward and g per member.

steps 1n the first of w "other and in t are inserted, while drawings may be regarded as typical.

, other condition which is frequently met is that the upper is small for the last and the edge of the upper at certain very little from'the edge of the last.

places proj sets- It is the object of the present invention to improve the construction and operation of grippers of this class, to enable them to o erate successfully under the various 00nd tions found in different shoes, some of which are above referred to...

To this end an important feature of the invention consists fil giving the movable iar movement while e grippers are closing, by which the said movable member is caused to travel in a curved path, movin first away from the fixed member and lien toward said fixed member, to cause the movable member to gather in and draw the edg portion of the up or toward-,the fixed member.

nother feature of our invention consists in. pivotally mounting the movable gripper member and rocking said member upon its pivot during the closing movement to change the angular relation of said member to the fixed member and thereby increase further the range of action of the grip ers in gathering in portions of the up or ying distant from the fixed grip er mem er, and also the short ortions which project but little above the e ge ofthe last. As herein shown the path of movement of the movable gripper member is determined by means which act a plurality of points in its length insuch manner as to control its move- It is characteristic of the illustratedoonstruction thatthe grip ing is effected in two ich the movable jaw is moved lengthwise to embrace the stock and caused to a proach approximately to the lie second of which the movable jaw'isrocked sharply toward the fixed jaw to effect final closing and locking upon the stock. This final closing may be effected by means additional to that which etfectsthe approximate closing and mayinclude a surface inclined to the direction ofmovement for crdwding the movab1e-jawtoward its companion 'a'w. r i In order p at our invention may be clear] Ii eratood the same will be described with from the coiiperating gripr its sha'nk 13, and this grip deference to the accompanying drawings and to the referene characters marked thereon and forming a part of this specification and the several features of the invention above enumerated, together with other features and characteristics of the invention which will appear herein, including certain details of construction and combination of parts, will be pointed out in the claims at the end of the description.

Fig. 1 is a-side elevation of the grippers with the jaws in position to be closed upon theprolje ting/edge portion of the upper of a shoe. 21s a longitudinal sectional view of the grip are with the jaws closed, the line of section being indicated by w-w, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is'a' right hand side elevation of the grippers as shown in Fig. 2. Fi 4 isa perspective view of a shoe prepare for lasting. The gripper jaws or members 14 and 16 are supported respectivelyon the sleeve 13 and therod 15', which sleeve and rod constitute the shanks of thegrippers by relative right line movements of which the grippers are opened and closed, and by which they are moved together to stretch the upper, as described in said Letters Patent. The rod is contained within the sleeve and is arranged for longitudinal movement relative thereto in actuating. the gripper jaws ,from the openposition shown in Big. 1 to the closed positionshown in Fig. 2.

The gripper jaw' 14 is rigidly connected to r jaw will herein be referred to as the fixe gripper member or fixed jaw. The other jaw 16 is flexibly connected to its shank 15 and is moved with relation to the fixed jaw in closing the grip- )ers to'enga e the upper. The jaw 16 will. herein be re erred to as the movable gripper member or movable jaw. The shank 15 which is a push rod is forked at its lower end, as shown in Fig? 3, and the movable jaw 16 is likewise forked. -Thelink 17 is hinged to the forked ends of the shank 15 y and jaw 16. The two jaws, 14 and 16, are connected by a link 18 which, as herein shown, extends from the movable jaw 16 to a pivot located in the lower frame-like portion of the sleeve 13. The pointof connection of the link. with the jaw 16 is so located that in the longitudinal movement of jaw, 16 with relation to aw .14 from the 'o n position to the close position saidlin 18 will cause thejaw lfi'to travel in a curved path, moving first outwardly and away from the jaw 14 and then inwardly toward said jaw. The effect ofso connecting the jaws is to extend orenlarge the o enin between them during the movement romt eextreme open,

6 the lower end of themova position shown in Fig. 1 to the closed position shown in Fig. ,2. v

In order to extend further'or to.enlarge the'opening between the Laws and to cause le jaw to move in a path which extends farther from the fixed jaw, so that it may pass around and gather in a portion of the upper, when said upper is remote from the fixed jaw, or a portion which extends but little above the edge of the last, said movable jaw is caused to rock upon its pivotal connection with the link 18, thereby to retard the inward movement of the lower end of the =jaw, which would otherwise be caused by said link,. until the last part'of the descent of the jaw is reached and then to rock it sharply inwardly toward the fixed jaw for grip ing the upper. This movement is obtains 'in the embodimentof the invention herein shown by providing-a cam surface 20, shown as supported on the shank 13 in rigid relation to the fixed jaw, and by forming the upper end of the movable jaw with a surface 21 adapted to engage said cam surface. These surfaces 20 and 21 are so shaped that in conjunctiomwrith the link 18 they cause the lower end of the movable jaw 16 when passing from the position shown inFig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 to rock gradually outwardly until the latter art of the closing movement is reached durmg which the lower end of the movable jaw is rocked first gradually inwardly to gather in the upper and then caused to rock sharply toward t e fixed jaw for (gripping the upper. In order to hold sai surfaces 20 and 21 in engagement, and cause the movable jaw 16 to stand away from the other jaw when the grippers are open and to cause said movable aw to be rocked outwardly during the first portion of the descent, said .aw 16 is provided with a socket 24 in which 1s.,located a spring-pressed plunger 25, and the link 17 is provided with a shoulder adapted to be engaged by said spring plunger to flex the oint between said movable aw and link and hold the cam surface 21 on the movable 'aw against the cam surface 20 on the fixe jaw.

This invention is not limited, except as stated in the claims, to the construction of the grippers mechanism by which the described movements are obtained.

In Fig. 1, the dotted line :l/l indicates the curved path of movement of the lower end of the movable jaw obtained by means of the specific construction of the parts herein shown. From this drawing it is clear that the said lower end of the movable jaw is arranged so that it will pass over an around an ed e portion, as 2, of an upper, when the 'sai edge portion is too remote from the fixed jaw to have been engaged by .a movement of said jaw in a straight line.

.The range of action of the fore is materially increased y causing the movable jaw to travel in a curved path and is increased further by rocking said'movable jaw during the closing movement. Under this arrangementthe movable gripper may grippers there.

be said to reach out for the upper, and we find in practice that the difliculties above referred to, caused by the widely varying conditions in which pulled-over shoes are 5 presented to the lasting machine, are to a great extent obviated by the Jresent invention. The point about which the jaw 16 moves is defined in some of the claims to be fixed, from which it will be understood that in the combination covered by these claims the point, for example, that pivot connecting the link 18 to the shank'13, remains stationary in the initial closing movement durin which the jaw is rocked about said pivot.

flVhile we have described our improved grippers as applicable to the particular type of machine mentioned, our invention is not limited to gri pers desi ed for use in a specific form 0 machine, utisbroadenough 20 to include grippers having the characteristics recited in whatever relation said grippers may be employed.

Having described and illustrated our invention in the best form now known to us,

what we desire to secure by United States Lette'rs Patent is 1. In a machine. for working an upper over alast, a grippers mechanism comprising a pair of aws and means whereby one of said jaws ma be moved relatively to the other ,to close t e grippers, in combination with means for causing said movable jaw, in its movement to close the grippers, to reach out and gather in the upper.

2. A- grippers mechanism 0, prising a pair of jaws mount-ed on suita le shanks, said shanksbeing elatively movable to open and close! the ja meansconnecting said jaws tocause one of them in approaching and receding from the. other to move in a curved path,- and means for varying the angular relation of said jaws to each other duriri the closing and opening movements.

3. grippers mechanism comprising one jawrigidly connected to its shank and a second jaw movable toward the first jaw to grip thework, a shank for said second jaw mounted "for movement in a rightline, a

- flexible connection between saidshank and 60 said second aw, and a link connection between said two jaws constructed and arranged to cause the movable jaw to travel in T-curved path in moving toward the fixed )aWl- 4. A, grippers mechanism com rising one jaw rigldly mounted on its shan a second aw flexibly mounted on its shank, said shanks being movable longitudinall to close the jaws, and means to rock sai sec- 0nd jaw during its movement toward the first jaw, to cause {its lower end to travel around the edge of the work.

grippers mechanism com rising a pair of jaws mounted on suitabe shanks which" are relatively :movable longitudinally to open and close the jaws, a flexible connection between one of said jaws and its shank, a connection between the jaws whereon the movable jaw rocks toward the fixed jaw, and means arranged to engage the movable jaw and rock it with relation to the fixed jaw during the longitudinal movement of said shanks and jaws. r

6. A grippers mechanism comprising a pair of jaws mounted on suitable shanks and relatively movable to grip the work,

a flexibleconnection between one of said jaws and its shank, a movable fulcrum upon which said last-named jaw is mounted, and means to rocksaid jaw about said fulcrum during the last portion of its closing movement.

7. A grippers mechanism for use in working an upper over a last and comprising a relatively fixed jaw and a jaw movable to- 5 ward the shoe in closing against the fixed jaw and means to cause said movable jaw to move toward the fixed jaw in a curved path, in combination with means to rock said movable jaw toward the fixed jaw during the latter part of such movement.

8. A pair of-grippers'comprising a shank,

.a jaw, a hinge 5011'" connecting said jaw and shank, a secon jaw suitably attached to its shank, and a yielding element acting on the members of said hinge joint to tend to hold the jaws normally separated.

9. Grippers for la sting machines, comprising a pan of jaws one of which is movable with relation to the other, means to cause said movable jaw to move toward the relatively fixed jaw in a curved path, and yield ing means tending to hold said jaws normally extended for gathering in the upper of the shoe being lasted, in combination with means to rock said movable jaw against the tension of said yielding means for gripping the up p 10. (grippers for lasting machines, comprising one jaw rigidly connected to its shank, a second jaw movable toward the first and flexibly connected to its shank, a connecting said two jaws and constructed and arranged to cause the. movable jaw to follow a curved path in moving toward the 116 other jaw, and means to rock said movable jawtoward the other jaw during a portion of said movement.

11, Grippers for lasting machines, comprising, one jaw rigidly connected to its 120 shank and asecond aw movable toward the first and flexibly connected to its shank a 7 link attached to the!" id jaw-and pivoted etween the ends of sai movable jaw to cause the movable jaw to follow a curved ath when moved toward the rigid jaw an (:0-

o eratm engaging surfaces on sei jaws to r sar move 10 aw toward the rigid jaw during aportion of its movement.

'19. Grippers for lasting machines, comand its shank,

.tion between the two prising one jaw rigidly connected to its shank and a second jaw movable toward the first and connected to its shank by a link, means conneetin said 'awstogether, a shoulder on said ink, anti a s ring-pressed plunger mounted in said secon jaw in osition to engage said shoulder on the lin to tend to hold said movable jaw awayfrom the fixed jaw, in combination with means operative during the latter ortion of the movement of said movable aw to rock it toward the fixed jaw to grip the work.

13. A grippers mechanism, comprisin a pair of gripper jaws mounted for relative movement longitudinally toward and from gripping position, and means for actuating one of said jaws laterally away from the other jaw during a portion of said relative longitudinal movement toward grippling position and laterally toward the ot er aw 'for'gripping the stock during a latter portion of said relative longitudinal movement.

14. A grippers mechanism for use in workupper over a last and comprising a jaws mounted for' movement, of one aws longitudinally toward the shoe in approaching the gripping osition, and means for actuating one of said jaws gradu ally toward theother jaw durin the latter part of said relative longitudina movement toward ripping position and then sharply toward t e other aw for gripping the stock.

15. In a grippers mechanism, the combination with a movable gripper member and a cooperating fixed gripper member, of means for actuatin said movable gripper member toward the xed gripper member, and other means acting upon said movable member at a plurality of points for determining the path of its movement. a

16. A grippers mechanism, comprising a shank, a gripper jaw suitably attached to said shank, a second jaw, a pivotal connecvjaws, a second shank, a hinge joint connecting said second jaw ing an pair of of the j to tend to hold the joint fixed whereby he jaws are normallysep'aratedQ "17. In a nation with a movable cofiperatinggripper mem 'er, of actuating means for said movable gripper member, a swinging link extending aterally from the move 18 gripper member for causing1 4 member to travel in a curved path w on it is actuated, and means cotiperatinl'g. with said swinging link for determining t e path in which thahmvable. gripper member is actiigatfd. n a gr rs did mechanism, the combination with a;

gripper member and a g gripper member, of mechanism includin a link tween the mem rs for actuating and guid 'ing said movable member toward gripping 0 1d yieldingmeans arran ed f grippers mechanism, the 06mm grip er member and a said stantia 'pver a last, a grippers position in a nearly straight path outwardly and downwardly over the stockto be gripped and then' in a curved path laterally toward the kcotiperat-ing member for gripping the stoc .19. In a grippers mechanism, the combination with a movable grip er member and a coiiperating ipper mem er, of a swinging link to w ich said movable grip er member is connected, means for actuatm said movable gripper member, and centre ling means cooperating with said swinging link for causing said member to travel in a proximately the direction of its length for embracin the stock and thereafter to t' rn toward t e cooperating gripper member for gripping the stock.

20. In a grippers mechanism, the combination with a movable grip er member and a coiiperating gripper mem er, of a rod, a link pivotally connected to the rod and to the movable gripper member, said rod being arranged to be actuated lengthwise for moving t e link and movable ripper member i'ongitudinally, and means gr eflecting and controlling fiexure of the joint between the movable ripper member and link whereby the move is gripper member is turned as well as moved longitudinall b forcetransmittedJr-om the rod through t e link.

21. In a grippers mechanism, the combination with a movable grip er member and a cooperating gri per mem er, of actuati and uiding mec anism foradvancing sai mova le gripper member in the direction of its length to embrace thestock without submovement inwardl toward the other member ,and for thereafie I gripper member toward the eofiperating mem or to grip the stoc v 22 In a machine for working an upper over a last, a grippers mechanism comprisinga rocking jaw and a ooiiperating aw, said rocking jaw having an arm extended laterally toward'andpivotally connected to the cooperating jaw, combined with means for actuating said rocking jaw about said pivotal connection to grip and release stock, said means including a web barand also a cam and a yielding evice to hold the rockin jaw inenga ment with the cam.

23. n a machine or working an upper mechanism -eomprisng a rocking jaw an actuator, and a cooperating aw, said rocking 'a-w having an arm exten ed laterally tower and pivotally connected .to the cooperating jaw and an arm extending at an angle to thelateral arm and 'pivotally connectedto the actuator, said parts being constructed and arranged to permit the actuator to form an acute angle with theflfirst-mentioned arm.

when the jaws are-in clamping relation and additional means for guiding the rocking jaw from and toward the other jaw.

r rookmg said i connectc 24. In a machine for working an upper over a last, a grippers mechanism com rismg a roclung aw and a cooperating aw said rocking jaw having an arm extended laterally toward and pivotally connected to the cooperating jaw, an arm extending at an angle to the lateral arm, a carrier on which the two jaws are mounted, a rodguided'by the carrier for ri ht-line movement-therein to actuate the rec in jaw, and a link connecting the rod and t e second arm to transmit movement from the rod to the rocking aw.

25. A Iasting machine gripper, having in combination, a movable jaw, a coiiperatin jaw, an arm extending laterally from one 0 said jaws toward the other jaw and ivotally connected therewith, means flexi 1y connected to the movable jaw to effect a relative closing and opening movement of the jaws and additional means for controlling the direction of the movement of said movable jaw toward and from the cooperating jaw.

26. A grippers mechanism comprising coopcratin jaws one of which is movable and d by a link to the other, means for closing the jaws in two steps in the first of which the jaws are moved lengthwise to embrace the stock and are caused to approach approximately and in the second of which steps the movable jaw is rocked sharply toward the fixed jaw without substantial longitudinal movement.

27. A grippers mechanism comprising oo operating jaws one of which is movable and connected by 'a link to the other, means for effecting an actuation, including a relative lengthwise movement-,of the jaws to embrace the stock and an a roximate closing u n the stock, and ad itional means for c ecting a final closing and secure holding of the aws.

28. A grippers mechanism comprising oooperatin 'aw's one of which is movable and connectei a link to the other, means for closi the aws including the push rod 15,

the link 17, and the cam 20 having a low portion which is o erative during the movement of the jaws link 17 connecting sai rod to the movable. aw, and the cam. 21 havinga surface atitsower portion arranged to rock the movable jaw to force its lower and toward the copfiieeating jaw during the c aws. g H B0. A grippers mechanism embrace the stock and, approximately .close thereon, and a portion rating jaws one of which is connected to 0 other jaw for lengthwise and rocking movement, means includin a push rod to actuate the movable jaw endwisc and rock it 'for efi'ectin approximate closing of the jaws, and a ditional means constructed and arranged to become operative durin the last part of the movement of the pus rod to rock the movable jaw for efi'ectmg final closing of the jaws.

31. In a grippers mechanism, the combination with a pivoted jaw, of a coiipera't ln jaw, a link pivotal! connected to bot aws, means for initial y rocking the ivoted awto'grip the stock, and additiona means for finally closing the jaws.

32. In a grippers mechanism, the combination with a plvoted jaw, of a coiiperating jaw, means for initially rocking the pivoted jaw about a point laterally removed a substantial distance from the pivoted jaw toward the coiiperating jaw to grip the stock, and additional means arranged to become operative only after the initial rocking movement for forcing the ivoted jaw toward the fixed jaw to effect nal closing and holding of the jaws.

33. A grippers mechanism having, in combination, two jaws having a swinging link connection between them, and mechanism for actuatin thejaws in two steps to grip the stock, 'in luding means to rock one of the jaws toward the other for initially closing the jaws upon the stock and additional means becoming operative subsequently to effect final closing of the jaws.

34. A grippers mechanism having, in combination, two jaws having a swinging link connection between them, and mechanism for actuating the jaws in 'two steps to grip the stock, comprising means for rocking one of said jaws for initially gripping the stock and additional means including a surface inclined to the direction of relative movement for efl'ecting final closing of the jaws.

85. In a grippers mechanism the combination with the two jaws 14 and 16, the connection 18 between them to permit relative movement, the wedge cam -20 for efi'ecting final closing of said jaws, and the rod 15 cooperating with the connection 18 to effect relative closing movement of the jaws independently of the wedge.

36. In a grippers mechanism the comblnation with two jaws, a link pivotally connected to both of said jaws whereby they are relatively movable lo 'tudinally, a-

wedge cam having an acting ace obli as to the direction of such movement an ar ran ed to efl'ect a closin of the jaws upon etc between them. an an operating rod cfinnected to said jaws independently of "-t e .W

87. In -a.,'gri mechanism the combination ofihe two jaws 14, 16, the'rod '15, and

links 17 and 18 arranged to move jaw 16 len hwise relatively to jaw 14 in closing an opening the gr pers and the cam surface 20 arranged to e engaged by the heel 21 of 'the ':w 16 after t e initial closing movement or giving to jaw 16 a, more pow erful final gripping movement for sewing and holding the stock between the two jaws.

88. In a grippers mechenismfthe combik nation with-two jaws, means or moving one jaw lengthwise relative to the other in closing and opening said jaws, and additional means arranged to become operative only after the initial closing movement for forcing the jaws together more owerfully to effect final gripping and hol mg of the stock.

In testimony whereof we hevesigned our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

SHERMAN WILLIAM LADD. EDWARD ALLIN 'STIGGINS.

' Witnesses:

NELSON W. HOWARD, ARTHUR L. RUSSELL.

.J Copies of this patent may be olitained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,005,234.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,005,234, granted October 10, 1911, upon the application of Sherman William Ladd, of Boston, and Edward Allin Stiggins, of Beverly,

Machines,

lows: Page 4, line 21, for the word Massachusetts, for an improvement in Grippers for Lasting errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as fol latter read later; same page, line 47, for the word fixed read flexed and'that the said Letters Patent should be read with these Signed and sealed this 28th day of November,

[sun] E. B. MOORE, Uommiasiomr of Patents. 

